Australia Considers Gambling Ads Cap Instead of Blanket Ban

Australia continues to mull over a ban on gambling ads. As the discussions continue, Anthony Albanese’s administration has reportedly proposed a cap on TV ads instead of an outright ban.

Under a new measure proposed by communications minister Michelle Rowland, ads would be capped to no more than two adverts an hour on each TV channel until 10 pm. Additionally, Gambling operators would be prevented from airing ads an hour prior to a live sporting event.

The new measure, however, would still ban gambling ads across social media and other online platforms, where a cap can’t be implemented easily.

Unlike Labour MP Peta Murphy’s earlier proposal, the new measure would still allow some ads to be aired on TV, albeit more moderately. However, this solution might not have the intended effect according to critics.

No One Seems Happy with the New Proposal

The Sydney Morning Herald spoke with experts, some of whom thought that Rowland’s solution would only make everyone angry. The source told the news outlet that the ads cap would both infuriate purists who want ads to be banned completely and operators who will still lose a lot of money.

Echoing this claim, the Alliance for Gambling Reform lambasted the proposed measure as insufficiently drastic.  Martin Thomas, CEO of the organization, said that he hopes the government will realize the importance of doing the “right thing” and ban all gambling ads.

Thomas argued that the new rule could potentially make things worse, citing an earlier rule change that led to an increase in the volume of advertising in primetime sports on metro TV.

Others argued that the new proposal would undermine the goals of the late Murphy. She, for context, advocated for a blanket ban that would completely eliminate gambling ads and, by extension, lower the problem gambling rates in Australia.

Gambling companies, sporting organizations and media giants were, evidently, not on board with this proposal and have spared no effort advocating against the ban. Operators have argued that a blanket ban on ads would inevitably lead to significant job cuts.

In other news, online gambling just skyrocketed in Australia, sparking renewed calls for reforms. According to new studies, people’s gambling habits are becoming increasingly affected by the presence of online gaming.